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For Non-JD Students

Master of Legal Studies (MLS)

Gain essential legal knowledge to advance your career without a JD degree. This flexible legal masters degree provides practical legal training for professionals across industries who need to navigate complex legal environments.

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Program Overview

The MLS program offers a flexible curriculum where you can specialize in a particular area or take a broad range of law courses to develop general legal understanding. 

Counselors from the Office of Graduate and International Programs work with each student to identify the best combination of courses to fit individual career or enrichment goals. As most law courses are open to MLS students, you’ll work with exceptional faculty and interact with classmates from across the world.

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Why WashU Law?

WashU Law’s MLS program provides access to the same exceptional faculty and rigorous coursework as our JD program. You’ll join a collaborative community that values different perspectives while building practical legal skills applicable to your specific career path.

Our flexible curriculum allows you to specialize in areas directly relevant to your profession or develop broad legal literacy to enhance your leadership capabilities.

FAQs

Your questions answered.

Interested candidates must submit:

  1. An application
  2. A current resume
  3. Official academic transcripts (in English) from all undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools attended, whether or not a degree was awarded, with class rank

Admissions criteria include strong prior educational and professional credentials, a clear sense of why you’re pursuing an MLS, and how advanced legal studies would contribute to you professionally and personally. You do not need to submit an LSAT score.

Students must successfully complete Introduction to US Law and Methods either online (prior to beginning the degree) or in the first semester of the MLS program. Additionally, students are encouraged to enroll in one traditional first-year law course as a basis for understanding the Socratic Method and common law analysis.

Completion of the MLS degree requires students to earn 24 academic credits at WashU Law. Students may study full-time or part-time. You can complete the degree in as few as two semesters full-time but no more than eight semesters part-time.

MLS degree credits do not transfer to the JD program at WashU Law.

For more information, contact Asst. Dean Tomea Mersmann.